#but i think even then it makes perfect meta sense as to why DR - with its very interconnected season structure -

[calypsolemon]

honestlyyyyy the ninjago merge desperately freaking needed to happen bc ninjago as a society was wayyy too perfectly divided into remote little pockets where different cultures and species rarely if ever met and interacted healthily. This is one of those reasons why I hope my theory that the realms were originally one and were split on purpose is correct - because the world's structure itself only makes sense if there was considerable, conscious effort put into keeping people divided and isolated from each other, on a false pretense of securing peace.

[wormsin]

"Bruce’s protective control and Dick’s perfectionist caregiving are core dysfunctions for their characters" oh this is such a beautiful, and perfectly fitting, way of describing them that ive ever seen! and it's really interesting to note that, their dysfunctions are.. how do i say it, 'complement' the other's? giving a 'perfect' looping feedback?

like, bruce's protective control pushes dick's perfectionist self to work even harder--to achieve the impossible and essentially makes him more desperate to take care of bruce, and in return this pushes bruce's protectiveness to another whole new degree which then lead to his need to keep everything under his control become even worse. and that makes it harder for them to break from the cycle (am i making sense? i hope im making sense)

hold my beer, I'm using this as an excuse to write the Bruce & Dick enneagram meta in my head.

"He's so determined to prove he isn't like Master Bruce it scares me. In their own way they are so similar that I thank heaven for the differences." - Alfred Pennyworth Batman 1940 #438

I've mentioned before that I use enneagram typing to characterize Bruce and Dick. like all personality typing, it's unscientific bogus. (this one is sold as a business tool lol.) but i find the types compelling.

first of all, their types

Bruce is an 8, the challenger or protector. an 8's ego is attached to the idea of vengeance—destruction of self or others out of a sense of injustice. if the person has a huge ego, has a deluded perception of the world, it is tied to the idea of vengeance. their "holy idea" is truth, which is basically a core value and potential. their trap is justice, which they think is the right path, but it will actually keep them stuck in their bullshit.

[Dick calls Bruce out on going too far as he's breaking down after Jason's death. Batman 1940 #439]

an 8's deepest fear is being controlled, harmed, or violated. their base desire is to be influential, self sufficient and protect themself. their temptation is to think that they are self sufficient.

like, you see why I like this for Bruce.

Bruce saw his parents being murdered and his reaction to that trauma was to control himself and create a powerful alternate ego that gets vengeance on Gotham's criminals and protects the innocent.

[Bruce appealing to family court to take in Dick. Batman 1940 #439]

at his worst, Bruce is a control freak who doesn't let anyone help him and has a warped sense of justice. so much emotional armor.

[Bruce possessed by Antithesis and lashing out at Dick, which Dick correctly identifies as a fear reaction. Teen Titans Year One #3]

at his best, Bruce is a strong leader, is willing to do what is right even at personal cost, wants to protect and help others fairly, and strives to create a better world.

[Bruce creating a victims advocacy program. Batman 1940 #217]

tl;dr Bruce is driven by fear of loss and compensates by controlling his world and protecting himself and others.

Dick is a 2, the helper or giver. 2's ego fixation is flattery, pleasing and giving to others in order to be liked. their "holy idea" is freedom/will; there's several interpretations of this but for Dick I see it as wanting others and himself to be free of metaphorical shackles and to fly. the 2's trap is also freedom: from having personal needs and needing others.

2's fear is being unlovable and their base desire is to be loved unconditionally. their temptation is to deny their own needs and be manipulative.

[Dick hiding his sadness as he leaves Wayne Manor for college. Batman 1940 #217]

[Hugo Strange psychoanalyzing Dick's relationship to Bruce. Batman Gotham Knights #11]

Dick is constantly pushing himself to the limit to be the perfect hero and mentor, and wants to help others but doesn't accept help himself. he maintains an image of being the bringer of light. I think being raised as a performer made him associate doing well and making people happy with love and family; after losing his parents he searched for that unconditional love from Bruce, being a hero, and romantic partners.

at his worst, he's prideful, and both ignores his own needs and sacrifices himself for others in order to get those needs met.

[Dick killing himself to save people in nuclear-bombed Bludhaven and feeling good about it. Nightwing 996 #116]

at his best, he is compassionate, helpful, parental, and warms the hearts of others.

tl;dr Dick is driven by fear of not having love and family, and compensates by caring for others and being perfect.

[Dick having a nightmare during a month's long mental breakdown. Nightwing 1996 #117]

you are correct: Bruce and Dick's personalities complement each other at their best and worse.

at their worst, Bruce is emotionally withholding and pushes Dick away. this is out of need to protect himself; any emotional intimacy or love is a threat because what if they die? Dick interprets this as not being good enough for Bruce's praise or a place by his side, and tries to be better. no matter how far gone Bruce is, Dick has to be the exceptional one who stays and loves him. the fact that Dick always comes back to him and gets under his skin makes Bruce lash out or become more controlling. so the cycle continues!

"That's what eats away at you at night—not just that you're forever in his shadow—but that you love him. That you're the loyal son who has never been allowed to truly help—never permitted to save him from himself." - Hugo Strange, Batman Gotham Knights #10

at their best, Bruce uses his own traumatic experience and leadership to better Dick's life. Dick is a ray of light for him. their fears are eased in relation to each other, they both help others and improve their world.

[Alfred remembers Dick early in his Robin career. Batman 1940 #438]

I think they have a lot to learn from each other. but they can also be deeply stuck in this dysfunctional cycle because they can both hold onto their negative delusions.

"I love Bruce. He's my family. But I couldn't bring him out of the past... I was sacrificing my own future. I don't want that for you... Trust me, Tim. At some point... you have to set yourself free." - Dick, Batman Urban Legends #10. demonstrates a healthy Dick's relation to an unhealthy Bruce.

[rey-jake-therapist]

I was reading @tickldpnk8 's excellent meta about Desire, when something they said about Dream disapproving of Destruction's relationship with Ishtar the goddess of love planted a series of questions in my mind...

First question: how their function influences the Endless' love life? Why was Destruction drawn to a goddess symbolizing Love? Why did Dream disapprove it? Why did Dream neglect Calliope after she gave birth to Orpheus and why did he really severe his connection with them both?

Was it all just..... personal?

When I read that Destruction had a romance with the goddess of Love, my first reaction was to find it.... weird. What do Destruction and Love have in commun? At first view, not much even nothing... except maybe that destruction Can happen because of deceived love?

Dream is the romantic of the family, it's Destruction himself who states it in Song of Orpheus when he tells Orpheus he's just like his father. Dreams inspire the artists and the poets, so his union with Calliope, the poet's muse, probably made sense to everyone (except her sisters, who thought in their great wisdom that Dream was an asshole 😂). But Destruction and Love? Yeah I can totally see why it raised a few eyebrows in the Endless family. I mean, we know Dream in particular disapproved the relationship but Ishtar told her friend that her romance with Destruction ended because of "his family" not just her brother in law, so my guess is that she had to deal with vehement hostility, from everyone not just Dream.

Why would be that? My headcanon's now that the Endless feared that Love would be a bad influence on Destruction, because he would be less kin to do his job right since he would start seeing things differently, about humans, the love they can have for each other and the beauty of it. And I actually suspect that his relationship with Ishtar may have had him question his function indeed, and its necessity. Maybe it's really because he knew Love (he sort of dated it!) that he walked away from the Endless family and didn't choose anyone to succeed him? He knew that love would always end up destroyed but he didn't want this responsibility anymore?

(Please notice I'm mostly talking out loud here.... these are just some random thoughts and questionings....)

Now, Dream and Calliope. In the Wake, Calliope says Dream was basically the perfect husband until she became pregnant. It's often thought that their relationship was damaged by what happened to Orpheus, but the fact is that they started drifting apart long before that. Of course as humans it's tempting to think that Dream lost interest in his wife because she became a mother and he looked at her differently: that's what men often do, right? But Dream isn't a man and Calliope is a goddess; the product of their union was Orpheus, who represented "the supreme power of poetry and music to enchant all natural things". If I look at the evolution of Dream and Calliope's marriage purely on their respective function, the fact that 1. they had separate lives even when they were in love and happy 2. They drifted apart once Orpheus was conceived, both things make perfect sense!

It's often assumed that Dream "gets tired" of his lovers once the thrills is gone aka once the seduction phase is over. But I think it's oversimplifying and again, forgetting that Dream isn't human, he doesn't think like one. My current headcanons regarding Dream and Calliope are that,

They got married first because it seemed to be the perfect union regarding their respective functions. It doesn't mean they didn't love each other, but Dream has loved others before and after Calliope... she's the only one he married, and I don't think it's a coincidence.

They didn't live at the same place, Calliope visited Dream' realm only when she wanted: doesn't it reflect perfectly what inspiration does to us? Coming and going through our dreams, being absent sometimes for months even years....

Once Orpheus was conceived, it's possible that Dream's interest in the relationship faded because... His union with Calliope had filled its purpose. Yeah, I'm aware of how bleak it sounds, but again I'm thinking strictly in terms of concepts, which Dream and Calliope are.

The fact that Dream severed his connection with both Orpheus and Calliope is of course explained within the story told in the comics, but it also can find its roots in the humans'world: the vision that humans have of art, dreams and gods HAVE changed. They don't seem as intrinsically connected as (maybe?) they used to be, at some point science took over and humans kept believing in dreams, but in gods and mythology in general? Not so much. The divorce between Dream and Calliope, I think, symbolizes this dissociation.

I can't NOT also tag @writing-for-life and @poobtato on this big subject ;)

[unseeliefaerie]

Good omens season 2 spoilers!

I don't usually get meta out of my brain semi-coherently but I'm seeing a lot of people misunderstanding Aziraphale's intentions in those final 15 minutes and I'm here to swing for my boy

I think one thing people might be missing the undercurrent of is the offer to make Crowley an angel again

It's not just an ooh we'd be on the same side, the good guys, and we'd be allowed to be together, though of course that is some of it

Aziraphale thinks he's being offered the chance to grant Crowley, who he knows has been tortured and almost killed by Hell, who risks punishment to disobey Hell's orders when they ask him to be cruel, divine forgiveness

That's kind of a big deal when Falling is the worst thing that can happen to an angel, besides being erased from existence

It's a way to get Crowley out of a job he hates and the persistent threat of torture, give him the freedom to be kind, as Aziraphale really believes he is deep down, underneath the obligations of being a Demon, without worrying about being punished for it

Of course he would want that for Crowley, that's not out of character at all

Aziraphale doesn't even want to go back to Heaven until it's stated that he can take Crowley with him, that Crowley can be an angel again

Crowley can be safe, and free from the trauma/repercussions of Falling, and they can be together forever in a real partnership

Why wouldn't he see it as a perfect solution?

He genuinely doesn't understand why Crowley doesn't want that

He's been given a chance to give Crowley salvation and protection from harm, and it's so shocking and confusing and upsetting that Crowley doesn't want to be saved, such a sting of rejection that he'd choose remaining Fallen on Earth over being an angel again with Aziraphale in Heaven, that in his heartbreak he ends up agreeing to go without Crowley despite Crowley being the only reason he considered it in the first place

Here's where I want to point out that I don't think Aziraphale understands how the Fall actually did change Crowley quite a bit. From Aziraphale's point of view, Crowley as an Angel and Crowley as a Demon are the same person just with different jobs. He's not entirely wrong about that, and given how often he's seen Crowley do the 'right' thing he's got evidence to back it up

But I'm not sure he knows what Crowley was telling Gabriel, that his own memories from before the Fall are hard to access and he did in essence have to start from scratch and build up a whole new sense of self

And besides that, being cast out of Heaven is a horrific abandonment. You don't just get over something like that when they invite you back - and you don't just get over seeing firsthand that they almost destroyed the love of your life without remorse only to turn around and ask him to run the place now (or all the other cruelty you've seen committed on their orders.)

Crowley has learned that kindness is not inherent in Heaven and having once been an angel has nothing to do with what he believes is right, while Aziraphale is still idealistic about good and evil (tbh Aziraphale admitting that Heaven needs to change is already a huge step in the right direction, it just wasn't enough)

From Crowley's pov Aziraphale is choosing an unjust and abusive workplace over the life they already have together, and asking him to change because he's not good enough as he is, even though that's not how Aziraphale means it at all.

I'm sure the Metatron knew that Crowley wouldn't go for it for precisely those reasons, but I don't think he needed to do anything more than make the offer to cause a rift

Tl;dr I vehemently believe Aziraphale wasn't poisoned he's just a well-meaning moron and the true villain here is miscommunication

[xx-psych0-rabbit-xx]

opinion on susie?

hi sorry this took *reads clock* oh god this is from 8th of september oh christ i was procrastinating on finishing planet robobot bc i didnt want it to be over :c

anyways the short answer is i absolutely ADORE susie n shes easily one of the best antagonists

(note:my knowledge of anything being confirmed outside the implication of how susie knew sphere doomers and her 2.0 pause screen is non existent so uh lol if i get smth wrong? this is just how i connected the backstory lore drops in my head)

the long answer is i think shes extremely good at being sympathetic while still being extremely funny in an evil way, on one hand, i feel its very easy to understand what her deal is, she gets sent to hell as a child, crawls out of it likely already wondering deep inside why nobody came for her but too focused on reuniting with her father, only to find out not only has his work lost the purpose she knew of, but he didnt even know her anymore.i think it makes perfect sense with this shed end up not knowing what to do other than get back at him, like growing up in hell/space void/whatever man im sleepy will not result in you getting out fine and dandy specially if the person who mattered most to you, and who youd remember as your main reason to escape to reunite with, seems to not even care you were gone, and w having to fend for her life constantly, i can see why she wouldnt care for cooperating with his company as long as it leads her to the result she wants (of having haltmann remember and beg for her forgiveness), no reason girl wouldnt have a self benefit only survival sense

also i have nothing deep to say on her being funny shes just objectively the funniest kirby character.yippee! *gives you fatal computer brain damage while already fantasizing of you begging for my forgiveness*

n regarding what she did to meta knight (which is what pisses off most ppl)...its literally no worse than what taranza did to dedede, and not nearly as bad as what forgo did to him.theres nothing implying the robot turning process was painful for him and he literally flies it off like its no big deal.hes fine.also if she was a guy yall would be writing essays on the homoeroticism of your still overly angsty hcs of mecha knight.if you wanna complain abt something susie might have had dedede buried back into the castle rubble after getting his clone dna thing.kinda rude!

tl dr 2.0 no empathy revenge fueled queen whos funny.yippee!

[tonydaddingham]

re: your hard truth meta, you're absolutely iconic for that. i feel like a lot of the season seemed to foreshadow that they're on two entirely different planes as far as what it means to care for someone, especially when a LOT of the flashback scenes we were shown seemed to included him constantly rejecting aziraphale's attempts at authentic communication: in the 1800s one, he straight up yells at aziraphale to be the one to say something that would keep that girl from ending her life, when aziraphale was already trying to do that on his own (never mind that aziraphale already miracled the vial empty & could have done the same with the glass). post-job, he laughs at aziraphale's assumption that he'll be cast out for lying when aziraphale is Visibly distraught about it. and then with maggie and nina, as they said in the final episode, az & crowley were doing what they'd always done with each other: throwing darts at the wall until something seems to stick. so then when crowley's finally put in a position to open an honest dialogue about their relationship and where he wants it to go, and is visibly anxious about it, aziraphale brushes it aside in favor of sharing his Good News, because that's what he's learned their relationship to vulnerability is. imo, crowley has had the time he needs to understand that heavenly/hellish interference isn't even necessary ("every time i think of something strategically cruel, they do it themselves and Worse"), and he expects aziraphale to reach the same level after like. One year of silence from heaven, because he figures that if he could do it on his own with no support system or anybody in his corner, so should aziraphale. meanwhile, aziraphale spent his ENTIRE existence with one purpose, being repeatedly manipulated into quashing his doubts and not raising questions, and then when he finally did the Right Thing for himself (stopping the apocalypse), heaven stopped talking to him entirely. of COURSE he would want to go back. he was cut off and lonely and couldn't go to crowley about it because he knew from experience that he would be brushed off. and of COURSE crowley wouldn't understand that, and like with maggie and nina was just trying to make Something happen However he could, regardless of how ethical it was, and would lash out in the most anti-heaven way he could think of: a temptation. like, my guy had a WEALTH of logical arguments about why heaven wasn't the place where real change could happen based on their lives together and the fact that aziraphale was about to be ERASED FROM EXISTENCE AND THE MEMORY OF EXISTENCE BY THE ARCHANGELS before the metatron showed up, but all he was thinking about was his trauma and he reacted to the shadow of a rejection that was centuries old. in trying to express their love for each other they just ended up treating each other like An Angel and A Demon again and it fuuucking kills me.

god i hope this makes sense, i am very tired. tl;dr i loved that meta

@rollforjackass, bestie, fucking *CHEF'S KISS* ✨💓 yes this is perfect part 2 to my meta and im so grateful you paid attention to the other parts where they fail each other time and time again and just sweep it under the rug... yes you get me!!!✨

aziraphale is as culpable as crowley, but i genuinely think he's trying... crowley feels like he's so wrapped up in his own pain and hurt (again, valid) that he can't see wood for the trees, and certainly not aziraphale's perspective 💀

[thedragonchilde]

G Gundam meta notes part... The last one! Episodes 45-49

"Rain's Crisis: Return Of The Devil Gundam"

-”these are the last tears we'll ever shed for Master Asia” are you sure about that, Domon?

-not to downplay your stakes, George, but you learned that you didn't have to hang everything on that sense of duty you fought for, so of course you're the most likely to feel fulfilled even though you lost

-I heard that passive-aggression, Argo

-Domon's plan was just to walk through the hospital halls shouting for Rain? Good job

-I mean, I guess I can see Rain's logic in that she'd worry Domon would resent her, but… that's his decision to make, y'know?

-the way Chibodee yelled for Domon sounded pretty anguished, even for being out of breath

-dammit I have to rip off my headphones every time Domon sobs

-interesting that Wong was doing research - or, wait. He doesn't seem like the type to do it himself. But how did he keep it quiet among whatever scientists he hired? And how quickly did they come up with this? 

-why the hell would you tell Ulube you're giving him up? 

-okay, what was that? Shuffle Alliance empathy? Did Domon accidentally spread the empathy powers to Rain?

-I still maintain that Chibodee's crack about "if you can't decide, then I'll get Rain and make her mine" was less an actual threat and more specifically to get under Domon's skin and get the guy to do something - I mean, am I the only one who hears the sheer level of "ughhhh you idiot" in his voice?

-Sai is so upset over this!! I would almost make a joke about his ship sinking, but for real, this seems to hit a nerve with him!

-is Domon actually able to commune with the spirits of the dead through his Shuffle powers? 

"Devil Colony Activated: Attack Of The Shuffle Alliance"

-Domon's attack speeches are so common you don't really think about them after a while, but he's got quite a dramatic way with words

-how do they have news cameras in space? (And looking forward, are they filming the whole fight? Does the big confession go international?)

-I know that the dub is swear-free, but I really would've loved that "Jesus" in this voice

-the obligatory “Rain is in a vagina”

-I'm pretty sure I have that A/N scene memorized at this point, and I have meta about it already so I don't want to repeat myself

-interesting that Rain had to get naked for the DG but Kyoji didn't

-okay so under what circumstances do people get sentenced to stasis?

-"YOU FREAK

-”there won't be a real reason for us to be together anymore” is being friends not a reason? Who put that idea in your head?

-”you're helping me out?” Why wouldn't they?

-"RING THE BELL, DOMON KASSHU”

"Earth's S.O.S.: Rescue Gundam Federation”

-I think there's room to say something about the contrast of a destructive rivalry (Drs Kasshu vs Mikamura) to all the constructive ones we see

-Chibodee going Leeroy Jenkins once again - and bruh didn't you just say "don't be careless" a few minutes ago?

-”if anybody disagrees, come at me!” That's perfect for a reaction macro

-Carlos is okay!

-the World Gundam Federation, something to keep in mind for post-canon stuff

-OH GOOD, TIME TO SCREAM ABOUT THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP

-I have at least half a feeling about, in a group setting, Chibodee being the one to pull out Domon's words in a tight spot, and most of it is in the delivery

-Dr Kasshu has purple eyes

-"I heard that Major Ulube was shredded, that Major Ulube had an eight-pack"

-Dr Kasshu’s voice is quite similar to Kyoji’s

-”this is my family's fault, let me go it alone” dammit Domon, that's what Rain did to get into this trouble

-awkwardly long laughter to fill in where nobody wants to say "we care about you, you idiot"

-LEEROY GODDAMN JENKINS CROCKETT

-Argo didn't even get to do anything 

-Shirley looks like she's about to vomit at the sight of DG!Ulube

-Mrs Kasshu never speaks. I wonder if Domon doesn't remember her voice

-I am eating up these vocal performances!!

-TEAM ATTACK

-”did we win?” Bunny you're so fucking precious

"God Gundam's Great Triumph: A Hopeful Future; Ready, Go!”

-Domon has had so fucking much asked of him, of course he's gonna stick his neck out for what little he has left of his crumbling life

-I wonder how Dr Kasshu feels about what his creation has become

-”Zuisen Beam/Keiun Laser!” they just wanted to join in on the calling-your-attacks fun

-I'd like a freeze frame of the Mandala Circle with all the Gundams 

-Hoy, Ming, why are you outside? 

-you should learn never to say “we did it” because you're always premature

-”it's destroying itself” yeah that's some good symbolism there

-this is really the culmination of the ‘technology powered by emotions’ thread

-how is Allenby interfacing with Domon?

-again, Domon has a way with words! He may not think he's good at expressing himself that way, but damn, he's poetic

-”it's not that hard to do!” That sounds like some bullshit, I'm fucking aro and I know admitting your feelings can be hard. And if that was Chibodee as I suspect, that's double bullshit - you pretend you're an open book, but you resist being vulnerable. You can encourage Domon without straight up lying!

-okay, the silver and gold imagery is a decent way to go for opposites attract

-I do so love a good “I know you're in there” fight, and to combine that with a love confession should be catnip for me

-god fucking damnit I wish this ship had been built up… better? More evenly? Not been stomped on so hard by Domon's fuckery before coming back to it? (Because honestly I could almost buy it by the end of Guyana, and then…) Honest to God I want to like this more, and I like the potential that lives in the fucked-up circumstances that brought them together, but godfuckingdammit

-I find it amusing that, for Argo and Nastasha, even a cheek kiss is apparently too private to be shown onscreen

[randommusingsstuff]

Dissecting Season 3 of Never Have I Ever: Let’s talk about Devi’s Agency

“When you lock yourself into a dream of what your life should be, you limit yourself” Dr. Ryan tells Devi in the season 3 finale of Never Have I Ever.

For 3 seasons, Devi’s pursuit of popularity has been a mask for her desire to be loved. When she finally envisions a new dream, one in line with her actual wants and needs, she runs straight to Ben.

Why Closure for Daxton is Needed

Remember in my season 2 meta, when I said that the love triangle would be stretched out until the last season? It’s no surprise that Devi and Paxton will get another shot, and I think it makes sense. Why? It’s a tv show with a contentious love triangle, regardless of the outcome, they are not ending it a season early. Most importantly, the right to choose is a part of Devi’s agency.

In a romantic comedy, it is essential that the protagonist's choice is not defined by circumstance but by love. Paxton breaks up with Devi because she doesn’t love herself. Not only is he the one choosing to end the relationship, but the reason behind their breakup is due to Devi’s own insecurities. She has zero agency in this decision.

Season 1 was all about Devi letting go of her grief and finding a sense of belonging within her family. Season 2 was about developing a strong sense of moral beliefs and learning how to respect others. We see Devi act on these values early on in season 3 when she tells Paxton that he needs to apologize to Haley. Season 3 is about Devi learning how to stop valuing her worth through an external filter. Season 4 is about Devi’s desire for self-fulfillment explored through her intersectionality, college acceptances and relationships. This is telegraphed at the very end of season 3 when McEnroe says her dream has evolved.

What does this mean for her relationship with Paxton? She will have another chance to be with him, and she will end it on her own terms. When she does make her choice, she will have full agency in the decision, because wish fulfillment and happy endings are a requisite of the genre. She will not choose Ben because she can’t be with Paxton, she will choose Ben because she loves him.

The Undermining of Devi and Paxton in Season 3

Before I go any further, I want to acknowledge that Devi and Paxton are a good relationship by teen drama standards. On any other show, they would be a more than acceptable endgame. However, this is not just any other teen drama. The writers are acutely aware of Devi’s wants, her needs and how the two contrast.

In the premiere of season 3, Devi walks down the hall with Paxton and John Mcenroe proclaims, “this is what fairy tales are made of.” By the end of the season, he is no longer her fantasy. The writers undercut Devi and Paxton’s relationship at crucial moments to telegraph to the audience that they are not meant to be.

Let’s start with the first three episodes of the season. Daren Barnet said it best: “Paxton and Devi are kind of complete opposites other than having a good-natured heart.” When we get a snapshot into their relationship, we see that their dates consist of making out and watching Tiktoks. It has been 3 seasons, and they continue to lack the intellectual and conversational chemistry needed in building a lasting relationship. The “opposites attract” phenomenon is a myth. Certain differences can be complimentary, but having core values and interests is essential to developing a meaningful connection. What do Devi and Paxton talk about? Do they feel comfortable telling each other the truth? Are their futures headed in even remotely the same direction? Juxtapose this with Ben. Episode 2 of season 3 gives us a simple scene of Ben and Devi touching each other affectionately while laughing. On its own, it could be innocuous. Except, Aneesa’s reaction to it signifies that it is anything but platonic. In episode 3, the Valentine’s compatibility quiz reveals that Ben’s perfect match is Devi and Paxton’s is not. The show never wastes an opportunity to remind us that Ben and Devi are more compatible.

Post break-up, Ben and Paxton both have conversations with Fabiola and it’s interesting to contrast the two. Fabiola provides a buffer in which the writers can have Paxton and Ben reveal their true feelings without it being a confession to Devi. In episode 5 of season 3, Paxon reveals to Fabiola that “Devi is really complicated” and that “stuff with her was always so confusing”. While it’s true that Devi’s insecurities complicated their relationship, there are going to be moments where Devi is messy, and she needs someone who embraces that entirely. The writers have an opportunity to let Paxton reveal his feelings for Devi to the audience and they don’t take it. Contrast this with Ben’s confession to Fabiola in episode 4, “yeah, well, she broke my heart,” and the dissonance becomes evident.

A pivotal scene for Paxton and Devi is in episode 7, where Trent tells him that although he is in a fight with Eleanor, “[they] rile each other up, and then [they] love each other down.” He goes on to tell Paxton that being in a relationship this passionate is “the best high he’s ever had.” This serves two purposes. First, it makes Paxton realize that he no longer wants a meaningless relationship with Phoebe. More importantly, it signifies that this is the kind of love he deserves. Paxton will find it with someone, but it’s not what he has with Devi. In fact, that description embodies Ben and Devi’s relationship to a tee.

The season finale continues the trend of foreshadowing for Benvi and missed opportunities for Daxton. It is clear who Devi wants because she is fully willing to let Paxton go. He is about to fly off to Arizona and Devi has the chance to tell him that she doesn’t want to give up on them, except that’s not how she feels. The type of all-consuming love that they both want, the kind that makes your heart ache at the thought of not being with someone, is not what she has with Paxton. However, when Ben tells her he doesn’t want her to go and walks away, she glances back at him. Paxton is right in front of her but she doesn’t care. In that moment, heart-in-throat and stomach-in-knots, it dawns on her how deep her feelings are for Ben.

The “Perfect” Man vs the “Perfect” Man for Devi

Paxton’s arc closes out in a very satisfying way this season. He has stopped his womanizing ways, reshaped his identity, fully embraced Devi and has gotten into the school of his dreams.

With this growth, there has been an increasing sentiment that since Paxton is the “perfect” guy, he should end up with Devi. Ben, on the other hand, has much more growing to do and clear conflicts on the horizon for next season.

Have you ever stopped to ask why? Why would they have Paxton, the supposed main love interest, already be the “perfect” choice before the final season? It’s a common romantic trope designated for the person who is not the main love interest. Ben is the show’s deuteragonist, not Paxton. Ben and Devi’s arcs are complimentary, and in season 4 they will both grow together.

The more complicated journey has always been Ben and Devi’s, but it’s also the one that Devi wants. This goes back to the writer’s preferential attachment to Devi and Ben over Devi and Paxton. In season 1, Devi acts with romantic agency for the first time in her life when she kisses Ben. In season 2, Eleanor tells Ben (and the audience) that Devi wants him over Paxton, again underscoring her lack of agency in ending up with Paxton. In season 3, even though Devi’s dream has evolved, she still cannot envision a life without Ben in it. In contrast, the writers are very comfortable not showcasing romantic feelings towards Paxton in the season 3 finale. Devi’s agency is imperative in this final season. Ben is who she wants and Ben is who she'll get.

Ben’s Season 4 Arc and Why Devi Will Choose Ben

What is a deuteragonist and why is this imperative for Ben’s arc?

The purpose of a deuteragonist is to serve as a foil for the main character. They are someone with a close emotional bond to the protagonist, who helps them realize parts of themselves and advises the protagonist in times of turmoil. Sound familiar?

In season 3 episode 2, Devi promises Paxton that she won’t message the troll anymore. He believes her. When Ben is informed of the situation, he says that Devi is “naturally curious.” It’s an instinctual reflex of his to understand who she is and know that she won’t let it go. Paxton, on the other hand, is surprised to find out that she texted the troll. Throughout the season, Ben encourages her to pursue Des, and tells her the hard truth about Rhyah, knowing that it could jeopardize their relationship.

Ben’s arc in season 4 will be about letting go of expectations. In season 3 episode 6, him choosing to walk away from Devi does not signify him moving on, but him letting go of the expectation that they have to be together in order for him to be content with himself. Season 4 will follow this trend, as Ben and Devi come back to each other after they have found their sense of self. He needs to let go of the pressure to be like his father. This is another thread that Ben’s POV episode kickstarts, but it will re-emerge as he faces college decisions. Finally, he needs to let go of his façade and embrace love. This starts at the tail end of season 3.

Compare their conversation in the season 2 finale: 

Devi: So, be honest, were you in the girls' bathroom to help me, or was it for perv reasons, and I happened to be there?

Ben: Obviously, perv reasons. I don't care about you.

To their conversation in the season 3 finale:

Ben: It's just that, uh, I don't want you to go, David. 

Devi: Sure. Sure, sure, sure. 'Cause you need my annoying personality to fuel your competitive drive. 

Ben: I don't think your personality is annoying. Hey, I... I like your personality. 

Devi: You call me annoying twice a day. 

Ben: Yeah, as a joke. 

Devi: Okay, then why don't you want me to go? 

Ben: Because... I'll miss you. A lot.

Ben took huge strides by choosing to be vulnerable, but he’s not completely there yet. He is in love with Devi, but not willing to admit that. It is integral, not just for Ben and Devi’s relationship, but for Ben’s arc that he confesses his love for Devi. A love confession is happening, it’s only a matter of when.

As Ben learns over the course of season 4 to stop hiding his insecurity with barbs, to stop letting other people define who he should be, and to bare his heart to the woman he loves, he will embody the mental and emotional balance that Devi needs.

Devi will learn that her academic pursuits do not define her, paralleling Ben’s arc for season 4. She will also go on a journey of vulnerability as she learns to embrace change. Devi choosing to stay in the season 3 finale, while heartwarming, signifies that she is not ready to embrace new risks. When she is ready for a new chapter in her life, she will also accept the ways in which she has evolved and be willing to take risks to go after what she wants. Her appearing at Ben’s door with the “boink card” is a first step, but sex is not what she is really after. She is in love with Ben and given their similarities, loving him will be one of the greatest risks she takes. Devi embracing her love for Ben is Devi embracing her love for herself. It’s going to be a scary process for her but very empowering when it comes to fruition.

Devi asks her mom “what if nobody ever loves me because I’m always too much?” and her mom tells her that “one day [she] will find someone who loves [her] exactly as [she is]. Then, in the season finale, there is an intentional splicing to Ben and Devi gravitating towards each other as McEnroe proclaims that she already fits in. Their destiny is written in the stars. 

Paxton’s arc was actualized in season 3 to make way for the narrative tension of Ben and Devi being on parallel journeys of embracing themselves, while Devi comes to terms with what (and whom) she’s always wanted.

[porgthespacepenguin]

Death and the Butterfly (Qcard meta)

So @celestialwarzone and were discussing how many times Q has canonically saved Picard's life in canon (hint: it's a lot).

But our discussion got me thinking THOUGHTS (what a surprise) about season 1.

Onwards!

Note: some of the gifs may take longer to load, because Tumblr, but they're quite important, so please bear with me.

The evolution of Stardust

Remember Q's beautiful, chilling speech to Dr. Soong in episode 2.5?

Q, you dramatic bastard. 🖤

Anyway. At first I thought that the butterfly line, while incredibly poetic, was a little out of place next to "Death, the Destroyer of Worlds".

Gentle and delicate vs. death and destruction? Sure, it works in principle but it felt a bit... uneven as a juxtaposition.

Oh boy, was I wrong.

Why, you ask?

Remember how Picard dies in episode 1.10, and for a while, we have no idea if he's going to survive? And so we see Raffi, Rios, Elnor and Seven clearly mourning him, and in the background...

A butterfly.

We follow the butterfly for a very long time until finally...

Picard awakens in Data's afterlife, and the rest is history.

Sweet, right? Agnes and Dr. Soong (no, the other one) save Picard by putting his consciousness into a brand new synth body. Easy.

Except.

It's dangerous to go alone

[Some spoilers for ST:Discovery season 4, proceed at your own risk!]

We know from Star Trek Discovery that the success rate of transferring minds into synth bodies was so low they just abandoned the procedure altogether.

(By the way, it's hilarious to me how casually they namedrop Picard: "Yeah so this random admiral, Picard, I think they called him--".

But it makes sense, since they have no idea who he is: they're from pre-TOS times, living 900 years post Star Trek: Picard. He's just a name from the history books to them.)

Anyway. So how dismal, exactly, was the success rate that it just made no sense to even try, even if you were already dying? I'm guessing pretty damn bad.

Worse, a Trill Guardian explains later in the episode that there's a high risk that the soul may not find its way home, and could be lost in the attempt.

Guess that explains why people just gave up on it, eh? Risky doesn't even begin to cover it.

Later, Gray (with the blue hair) actually does spend a fair amount of time lost and unable to find his way to his new body. His odds are pretty bad until Adira (his girlfriend) is able to guide him home.

And yet, Picard made it on the first try, just like that. On his own.

Right.

Follow the Sun

I think at this point, you probably know where I'm going with this.

Q guided Picard's soul to his new synth body.

That's why Q's line about "the gentle flutter of a butterfly" makes perfect sense next to "Death, the Destroyer of world".

Q is both death and life, destroyer and savior.

Death, and the Butterfly.

A duality, the show makes a point of reminding us, the Sun shares with Q:

It's not a coincidence. @celestialwarzone wrote a brilliant meta about how the sun symbolizes Q in episode 2.7. I advise you to give it a read if you haven't already.

Wait, there's more

I actually believe there's a similar case to be made for episode 1.1, when Dahj dies. Look at the strength of that explosion:

Remember, Picard is over 95 and a regular human at this point. How exactly did he survive with no injuries?

I'm not even exagerating. Zhaban confirms it, sounding baffled: Picard is "apparently the same".

Look at him! Not even a scratch.

Because that's not suspicious at all.

And then, while Picard's unconscious, we get a montage of Data, the Enterprise and Dahj...

... with the sound of a clock ticking in the background.

Interesting.

Was it planned?

Now, I hear you wondering: wait, had TPTB planned this all the way back in season 1?

Honestly? Probably not.

Some people (me very much included) had been headcanoning that Q had a hand in helping Picard in season 1. It made a lot of sense, given Picard's frankly suspicious luck.

But there was nothing in canon that indicated Q was involved.

Now, however, with what we know from Star Trek Discovery and Picard season 2, there's very little doubt in my mind that Q's line at the cafe is a subtle nod to the audience: Q did save Picard's life in season 1, at least once -- perhaps more.

I certainly hope they'll openly acknowledge it. Picard needs to wake up and start seeing Q for who he really is: a teacher, a friend, and more.

Certainly not his enemy.

(PS: I actually touch on the subject a bit in my latest fic, if you enjoy that sort of thing.)

[googledocsdyke]

on the french mistake, i also think there’s something there about dean seeing alternate universe “dean” experiencing a life so easily filled with comfort, in contrast with real dean who has had to fight his entire life since he was like a toddler. like comfort and living without fear is such a foreign concept for him that seeing it given to any version of him so easily was like pulling a fish out of his water. and tbh it really makes me all the more bitter abt the finale bc he never got to truly experience feeling fully safe or comforted at all in his life, and that was it. (sorry if this makes no sense i started rambling a little lol)

oh for sure. like, the french mistake is very much about class, and even though supernatural’s class politics (just like everything about supernatural) are muddled and inconsistent throughout the show, i love how ben edlund takes the premise and actually digs into the humour/irony/inconsistency around sam and dean being played by millionaires with mansions and alpacas and model wives and foundation and perfect teeth and chauffeurs and the ability to get anything with the snap of their fingers! like it’s so DISSONANT to think about how the story is constructed and the amount of money poured into generating it into the world especially when to sam and dean this is literally just their own maxed-out stolen credit card day to day life

and like it’s deeply disturbing for both sam and dean to witness, but sam has a more immediate comfort with using his alter ego’s wealth. they go to jared’s house instead of jensen’s, sam is the one who suggests stealing jared padalecki’s money to buy the artifact (HUGE win for the samgirl community there). whereas dean just absolutely resolutely is SO spooked by the comfort and almost wants nothing to do with it. (”MORE money? you pay these two jokers enough as it is”) which for sure is at least partially a straightforward disdain for rich people. and it’s also just very funny and true. and a dig at the idea that these rich actors can ever know what it’s like to Be Sam And Dean, yk?

but it’s also like — dean has a resolute tendency to sublimate desire into hatred. if he wants something that he can’t admit to himself that he wants, he will process it as “i want nothing to do with this thing” and express that accordingly. it’s like that post that’s like dean winchester voice i have the things that i want and the things that i pretend to want and the things that i have and if any of those overlap even slightly i will kill everyone in this room and then myself. and part of him wants comfort! which is Not to say that dean would be happy or actually want to live in the french mistake universe, he’d be miserable. but part of him i think absolutely is so taken aback by “it’s THIS easy? it could be THIS easy? there is a horrible alternate version of me who gets paid THIS much to do THIS little and doesn’t live in constant fear of death or dying and is like pampered and smothered in adoration?” and part of him wants that comfort. NOT the fame or adoration or public perception — dean hates, hates, hates anyone outside him thinking that they know him, or professing to be able to understand or tell his story, and he hates the meta stuff. but part of him WANTS that comfort and to live without fear and he entirely hates that he wants that!!

and then of course there’s the added dimension of the fact that class is so loaded w gendered and sexualised signifiers in this episode. like everything about french mistake universe jared and jensen (who, again, we never meet, only see the spectres of, which, GENIUS choice) — the makeup, the male model shoots, the poppers — is Absolutely effeminised in contrast to sam and dean’s whole deal. like this episode really puts forward the thesis that Actors Are Sissies. all the comforts and wealth they have make them “less of a man” in dean’s eyes particularly (since that’s so much and constantly dean’s preoccupation). so like.... what does it mean to desire, even a tiny bit, that comfort or financial stability or ease of a life that isn’t trying to kill you if it’s also something that “softens” you? that makes you less of a man? i think for dean that’s terrifying

tl;dr there are a gordian knot of particularly classed and gendered reasons why the french mistake universe shakes dean to his core! which is not even to fully delve into the metanarrative aspect

[momoliee]

It’s probably too early for The Meta No One Asked For That I’m Gonna Write Anyway about XQC, alas…here we go

Dr. Xie Qingcheng, 32, male, straight (so far), 180 cm with only one current family member.

Xqc is introduced as a cold, aloof and apathetic retired doctor who has no passions, cares about nothing except for his sister, and unless he’s angry, you can barely get an emotional response out of him.

Through meatbun’s character notes on how he has no favorite food, no favorite color or animal, no personal preferences outside what’s most practical and how he’s very very responsible and rules abiding and honest and sober and serious, and through he yu’s POV that continuously paints him as this heartless cold blooded person, I dare say we were…deceived by this so far shades of gray picture we had of him.

Xqc was born into a finically stable middle class family consisting of two cops for parents and a younger sister that came into the world 8 years after him. When he turned 13, and his sister was only 5 at that time, his parents were fired from their job due to a case they shouldn’t have been investigating going wrong, and they had to move to a rural area. Not long after that, he witnessed both his parents’ deaths and saw their corpses with his own eyes, the site was bloody and there’s no way it didn’t traumatize a pre-teen like him. He then was tasked with taking care of his sister, becoming a doctor despite not wanting to, owing others favors and spending all his money on smth that’s yet to be revealed instead of enjoying it. He got married, not to a woman he loves but to someone whom he thought of as “suitable and appropriate”, got cheated on and went through a divorce before losing full interest in the marriage life. He was finally able to retire (we don’t know why yet) and live a quiet, normal, boring life.

I believe xqc loved his parents, I believe he loved them so much cause in chapter 20, he mentions how he thought he wouldnt be able to live past the grief, he wouldn’t be able to go on or move forward, how the grief completely overtook him. He also mentions how he used to play with knots and handcuffs when he was a child, which shows how close he was to them. So for a child who had a good stable life with two loving parents to suddenly fall from a class to a class, suddenly lose both parents and see their corpses with his own eyes, that must’ve fucked him up big time. I’m talking “when can I fully register all of this” kind of fucked up. But he didn’t have time to fully absorb all of this, didnt have the time to sit down and cry, he had a sister, she was only 5, where will they get the money from? What were they gonna do? How was he going to continue school while caring for her? He didn’t have the time to sit down and grief, to sit down and adjust. For a child who had a normal life and didn’t have to worry much about the money like every other middle class kid, he was suddenly burdened with poverty AND loss, and duty and responsibility. Good bye to the days of playing with handcuffs and knots huh?

You ask me, why does xqc not have a favorite food? I answer you, because many many nights, he didn’t know what to feed his sister, much less himself. Cause I bet that many nights, he would have to give up his portion for Xie Xue, to make sure a kid like her is full. Cause he couldn’t afford to be picky, couldn’t afford to choose; whatever was edible will be eaten, taste and flavor be damned. He had to start working from a young age, balance school, babysitting and working all at once. The last friend he made (I think) was that Chen Man guy whose parents were friends with his parents, back when they were alive and life was good. He didn’t have time to make friends, or go out, or have a favorite color or visit the zoo and decide on a favorite animal. No, he had to study, and study hard to become more financially stable and support Xie Xue, he had to raise his baby sister and protect her, he had to work or else how will he put food on their table? Yet he never lost his soft kind heart, cause when his sister asked for a laptop, he bought her one just so that she wouldn’t feel less than any of the other children.

Xqc had to SURVIVE, he had to make do with what he had and what he didn’t have. He didn’t have time to sit down and cry or process his trauma, didn’t even have time to think of adolescent love or his youthful days or do what kids his age did. And all of that carried forward into his adult life. He pushed his emotions back so hard and had his practical, business like mind take care of everything in order to make it through the days. He started to believe that passionate emotions such as love and hate and lust and desire were all a waste of time, a distraction from his duties, smth that will rock the delicate balance he created with his everyday busy schedule. Emotions will stunt you, emotions will delay you, crying and not going to work today means no food to feed his hungry sister with. That’s when he started thinking, strong emotions are a DISEASE, they will take up your time, cloud your judgement, have you make reckless decisions that you’ll regret later. And he couldn’t afford any of that right? Strong emotions are for the weak, they put you in crutches and disable you from moving forward. Wasnt that what he told his ex wife? If he had submitted himself to his grief back then, where would his sister be? Where would he be? How could they have grown up to be healthy and successful adults?

So this man taught himself practicality and duty and priorities. He stopped thinking about himself, about what he wants and what he feels, and instead started making sure that those around him are happy and content and safe and well taken care of. He no longer had desires or passions, he only had rules and regulations. If a person lost their sense of taste, would they still want chocolates and burgers? Would they still have cravings and foods they’d rather swallow medicine than eat? No. If so, how will they decide on what to eat every day? They’ll simply start following a “perfect nutritional plan” and “balanced diet”. They’d eat what they have to eat, when they have to eat, and in the exact portion they need. To them eating would be another chore they have to do every day to keep their bodies going. Similarly, with xqc, graduating, working, marrying, taking care of his sister and auntie, these all became “tasks” and “chores” that he had to abide by and follow. They became the dietary plan for his life till he dies, the outline he shall follow, the textbook rules he will carry out, no need to think of what he “wants” or “desires”, what will make him “happy” or bring him “joy”. He no longer listened to his emotions when making decisions. Even when marrying his ex wife, he married her cause she was “a suitable match”, not for her looks or personality or anything. Feelings are life’s taste buds, and once you remove them, everything becomes tasteless and mundane, and practicality/logic takes over. He stopped knowing what it felt like to choose based on your preferences, cause he stopped having the luxury of choice ever since that night when he was 13, and he no longer was able to re-teach himself the meaning of free will and choice.

So when he yu, in chapter 20, asked him how he would’ve acted if Xie Xue had died, and he said, “I would’ve continued living as I am today till my last breath,” he wasn’t being “cold” or “heartless” or “indifferent” as he yu likes to say. He was being practical and methodical and thinking with a logical approach, rather than an emotional one, just the way he taught himself to throughout all these years. His almost 2 decades of pure survival mode and severely repressed feelings spoke in the form of autopilot. “I would do what I have to do, what I’ve always done every day of my life so far cause what choice do I have?” Is what he meant to say.

But I believe that he’s a soft hearted, kind and loving person. He never says no his sister, never says no to his auntie, helped that homeless man as best as he could, taught he yu that he was normal and that he wasn’t a monster, believed in treating his patients with words instead of medicine prescriptions, believed that the mentally ill deserve to live normally instead of being locked up. I believe that underneath all the shit he has buried, there’s a lot of passion and love that’s been kept dormant for 19 years.

In conclusion, idk where meatbun is gonna take his character but I genuinely hope he gets to heal, and start having more color and flavor in his life. Start allowing himself to live, not just survive.

[wingfields]

About Xeno in z = 221 (dr. Stone manga spoilers)

I saw many people talking about last chapter, but I didn't read anything about a specific dialogue which I find really important to Xeno's development, so here I am to go rambling about it. (Because I have never written a meta or such so I don't know if I will make sense lol).

Under the cut because it's a rather long post with pictures!

Here it is:

Xeno knows people will not be happy with Senku's and Ryusui's decision, it's a risk and it will create malcontents. So the only way to lift both from the inevitable complaint is to say that it was his fault, that he made a threat (out of nowhere, at this point? after all the years that presumably passed?). Because Xeno thinks that in the eyes of the “masses” he is still the necessary evil for the Kingdom of Science.

But Ryusui tells him otherwise: he is one of them now, after years working together for the same goal. He is an important person for them, one of the leaders even!

Xeno is still looking away, in all this conversation he doesn't face them, he tries to hide what he is feeling (just like Gen points out for the readers). When I had read the chapter after the first time, I remembered something they said some time ago, which in Dr. Stone timeline would be some years ago (Inagaki-sensei, I still want to know how much time has passed exactly during the launching tests, “years over years” could be anything). When Senku and Xeno parted ways, Xeno staying in South America to build the engine while Senku would go around the world. Xeno was overdramatic as always, saying he would be the “scientist of darkness”, and that he is the perfect pick for the role and that he happily accepts it.

He doesn't consider himself to be part of the KoS, he is doing evil science that the KoS needs but won't dirt its hands with. Someone who is cooperating because they are helding Stanley's statue hostage, while we know that it isn't the only reason; he wants to cooperate because he wants to know about why-man and just really wants to build a rocket and all the other inventions. Gen once again had pointed out his pride even before that scene, right after they revived him.

All this time, Xeno was thinking himself not as one of them, even though he knows he is acknowledged by the main cast and he is still the dear mentor in Senku's eyes. Being accepted I think would be a different feeling for him. Remember when he said that in the Old World he felt trapped by morality and such? In the bonus pages of one of the volumes it is said that his experiments as a youngster almost got him arrested because they got too far (it involved weapons if I recall). He probably felt caged and misunderstood by almost everyone. That is why he hoped Senku, being so similar to him, would “walk the same path” as a scientist and join him, and he even doesn't understand why it is not the case (until the second world petrification at least).

I would also say that Xeno thinks he can't change and adapt, that he will be the “dark” scientist even in the New World, but what do we know, he says he actually likes the role and it suits him. But that doesn't mean he has to be forever cast apart from others. Maybe he withdrew from people too soon in the Old World or maybe he wasn't lucky enough to meet people like the KoS gang? Anyway, he still doesn't understand how things go around them (turning old enemies into allies and cooperating)... Or again, maybe it's just his pride.

I think this little dialogue is important for his development. All this time he thought that he was alone in the world while doing all the testing for the rocket launch. He was still a villainous figure, cast away. The only way he could have Stanley back is by threats (because his pride won't let him address the situation unless it's brought up by them, as it is the case). And Ryusui points out it is not the case anymore! He is part of a team and the decision of bringing Stanley back is a risk they can take, in order to make a successful trip to the Moon.

[sevensistersofsussex]

Elena Gilbert Meta: Why is she so secretive?

Children often use secrets as ways to exercise control when they grow up feeling like they have no control, particularly in situations where their caregivers are overly controlling.

We get this narrative that Elena's family life was very idyllic and the reason for the downfall was the night her parents drowned, but I think that Elena is either an unreliable narrator and is remembering her dead loved ones in a better light than the truth. I think part of her nature is because she is a doppelganger, but I think her upbringing has a role.

1) Town Council

Elena's parents are both in on this huge secret of the town council and if it weren't for the point below that comes up in season five, you could argue that they were being vigilant but maybe didn't know that vampires were still around or even existed. Zach knew, but maybe he would keep it hush since the ones he knows are also his ancestors? But the experiments. No. Elena's parents knew and they never told her. Let her go out to parties in the woods unprepared. Never mentioned it to her or Jenna to maybe...I dunno, be careful about who they invite into the house. Didn't even sneak vervain in her morning cereal? Maybe Zach had just started growing it after the car accident? But unlikely. They were keeping a huge secret from her and there is no way she didn't at least have a suspicion that they were keeping secrets. That kind of atmosphere builds a foundation of someone valuing secrets and information.

2) Augustine Experiments

Dr. Grayson Gilbert was running experiments on Enzo in the basement of his old medical practice and leaves toddler Elena alone long enough for her to hear Enzo in 5x10. She is drawn towards the noises and almost gets to the door before he stops her.

The level of neglect to bring your child to a place that houses a dangerous vampire and then just let her out of your sight like that is astounding. For me, this makes me wonder how likely it is that her parents were neglectful in general beyond just this one incident. This is a man who is arrogant enough to believe not only can he control vampires and use them to work on experimental medicine, but who also believes that that he is so in control of the situation that his young daughter is also safe.

I believe he is arrogant and controlling much in the same way Wes is.

3) Doctor Elena Gilbert

Elena's mother gave her the journals. Encouraged her to write. Grayson wanted her to be a doctor. And that's what she became in the end, a doctor not a writer though she continues to journal. Could it be her father's influence?

4) Doppelganger Parallels

I think, much like Katherine, Elena's father was the controlling, domineering presence in her life and though their mothers may have been more sympathetic, they also didn't do much to stop anything. It's more speculative in Elena's situation, but for Katherine it was clear in the flashback scenes of her dad taking Nadia away from her and her mother trying to soothe her.

5) Her Nature

Elena feels a strong sense of duty to other people and not as much to herself. She tries to sacrifice herself over and over again for her loved ones and is only ever stopped by other people and never by changing her mind. What 16-17 year old would do that? One conditioned by her family to always put their needs above her own. With boundaries blurred between the parent and child roles, secrets become so important. It's the one thing she has all to herself because the rest of her resources belong to her family.

Ultimately, this is one of her qualities I find so tragic and resonate with so strongly. A child doesn't become secretive and self-sacrificing out of nowhere. A personality like that is cultivated over many years. Doppelganger nature plays a role, but so does nurture and I don't think the Gilbert household was nearly as picture perfect as Elena or other characters make it out to be. (See Jeremy).

[okarne]

Wait hold on, I wanna know how c!ranboo plays a role in c!fundys breakdown /gen

Thank you v much for this ask 🥺🙏 There's a TL;DR at the end!

/dsmp meta (characters unless specified otherwise) Just in case, I wanna start by emphasizing that I said it was accidental and indirect. I don't actually believe that Ranboo planned this ahead of time. I also don't think this is an excuse to what Fundy did; it's only an explanation. Feel free to disagree! Just be nice. :>

To explain myself, I have two main points:

why Fundy had that mental breakdown in the first place; and

who Ranboo is (or was) in Fundy's life.

So...

🎆—Why the breakdown?

What led Fundy to do what he did?

Well... maybe the lack of sleep, the crippling fear of being destroyed in his home country and have its history erased, and he was tortured and nearly died drowning in his own tears just in the past 90 hours? I'm just guessing.

I joke (mostly,) but it makes sense. I don't think anyone in his position would've been in their most rational thinking. And long before then, Fundy had always exhibited signs of carried baggage and unresolved trauma. Ranboo was just one part of the many triggers.

In Fundy's Doomsday streams (particularly The Backstab,) he states that he feels that:

everything he has ever done in his life has resulted to nothing but bad outcomes,

everyone who has ever loved him is gone; and

he has no real value.

He points that no matter what "side" he goes to, he always ends up ruining everything. He says everyone he loved has either died, or ended up being against his side or a traitor. So in some weak attempt at happiness, he decides that he should just live for his own survival, and profit off of Doomsday, while everyone is busy trying to kill each other. (He doesn't really get to do much, but the point is that this was his plan.)

But...

🎇—Who is Ranboo?

What does he have to do with all of this?

A lot of current Dream SMP fans (especially those who came post-Doomsday) may not be aware of just how close Fundy and Ranboo used to be, and in turn, how important Ranboo was to Fundy. In one of the Green Festival preparation streams, Fundy claims, albeit sounding lighthearted and joke-y, that he would not be able to live without Ranboo. Fundy held Ranboo at a very high regard, even if he didn't truly mean that statement.

🎊—But what is his role in Fundy's breakdown exactly?

The sides argument, and Fundy's desperate need for validation. Fundy valued Ranboo's opinion a lot, and at multiple times sought for his validation. And whether Ranboo meant it or not, his sides argument sounded a lot like victim-blaiming. "You shouldn't have built this nation. It's just a drug van." You are the problem. Perfect fuel for Fundy's self-loathing.

If the nation was the problem... everything he fought for, everything he lived for... means nothing.

In The Backstab, on meeting Niki, Fundy learns the plan to "teach everyone a lesson," and agrees to the idea. He points that what Ranboo said the day before is correct—taking sides is the problem. So Ranboo would love this idea!

(...not.)

Fundy scared Ranboo off, and Ranboo rejected Fundy. And in that rejection, Fundy had effectively lost everyone.

After Doomsday, he has these thoughts:

I can be a target of everyone's ire (no one would miss me anyway,) to force everyone to a singular side.

And if I succeed, maybe... maybe then I'll finally be useful.

...buuuut we all know nothing really happened to that! Which is, I think, a good thing. I very much prefer the plot he's got going on right now, though I understand not everyone may agree to this choice.

🎋—TL;DR

The breakdown happened because of a lot of self-loathing.

Ranboo accidetally fed a lot into that self-loathing.

Yeah, that's it actually. Nyah ヾ(•ω•`)

[invincibleweasel]

Nitpick November: Day 3,4, 5 & 6

Nitpick 3: Why is Penny’s blood green? If we are meant to believe that she was built to blend in with the rest of humanity, why give her such an inhuman colour for her internal fluids? What if Penny got injured while on a mission with her old team, and they see her green blood. Her cover would be blown.  Considering the fact that Penny bleeding in the first place seems to be a new addition to Penny 2.0 which begs the question, why give her the ability to bleed? Why give her the ability to feel pain? These weren’t features she originally had. She shrugged off the truck in Volume 2 like it was nothing, just a scratch. It really brings into question what Pietro was thinking while making Penny 2.0. Nitpick 4:

Adam’s main colour is red, supposedly. Why does he wear predominantly black then? If this was post Fall, I would understand. Wearing more and more black as a visual representation of his growing obsession with Blake, that would’ve been good. But he doesn’t. He wears more black than red in all appearances that we’ve seen him in. What gives? Why not dress him in mostly red for the Black Trailer and then following the Fall he starts to wear more black. 

Nitpick 5: The Colour Naming Rule leaves much to be desired. It isn’t necessarily bad, conceptually. But there’s a lot of loopholes that come with it. Any name can be associated with a colour with enough leaps in logic and reaching. And that isn’t even getting into the fact that it doesn’t even have to be the first name that is colour associated. Just the last name will do. It’s why we have names like Jacques, James and Ghira which have no colour meaning, but are still accepted as following the rule because of their last names.  What’s stopping them from naming characters generic names? Weiss Schnee could easily be named Karen Schnee, after all, she gets the colour meaning from Schnee, doesn’t she? Even then, you could get a colour out of Karen as it can mean ‘pure’ potentially bringing to mind white. Which brings me to my next issue with the rule, a name’s meaning could bring to mind different colours depending on who you asked. One person might think that ‘pure’ brings to mind white, while another might think of black as a ‘pure’ colour. It’s vague and there’s no objective right or wrong answer to it.  Another problem I have with the rule is that names reference things that don’t exist in Remnant to get their colour meaning. Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck for instance, gets his colour green from the oobleck substance from the Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck. This wouldn’t be too big of deal if the rule was purely from a meta standpoint. But the rule actually exists in-verse, meaning Dr. Seuss and his books would have to exist too to get this colour meaning. The same applies for Ghira, who takes his name from Bagheera. Does The Jungle Book exist in-verse as well? Nitpick 6:

Heels. Why does almost every female character in this show, regardless of occupation wear some sort of high heels, stilettos or wedges?  Now, this isn’t to say female characters can’t wear heels. They obviously can, and for some characters such as Weiss, Cinder or Glynda it makes perfect sense. It works character wise. But characters like Blake, Pyrrha, Neo, Winter and Raven? Highly trained fighters who partake in a lot of movement while fighting shouldn’t be wearing heels that would likely inhibit said movement. Even Nora in the words of Ein Lee who worked very closely with Monty was originally in high heels and had much longer hair in Monty’s original sketch, before Ein Lee changed it. This honestly wouldn’t be too big of an issue if the creators were a group of women who wanted to make their own show of badass women. But it isn’t. The truth of the matter is that these characters were made and designed by three cishet men. They are the ones who chose to give their spartan inspired character super high platform heels with a mini-skirt and no upper armour. They are the ones who gave a random heart-shaped boob window to their Nordic warrior. They are the ones who gave the audience long lasting shots of a female character’s body for the audience’s enjoyment and nothing else. They are the ones purposely gave their black thief an even skimpier outfit than the one she had originally, just to show off her breasts more.  These were all decisions the creators purposely made regarding their female characters’ designs, who were all minors at the time. The creators have a problem with unnecessarily sexualising their female characters and it needs to stop.

[phantomato]

Five Tom Riddle Crossover Fics to Read

Tom Riddle is a difficult character to ship. For those of us who want to see pairings beyond the Big Two (Tomarry and Tomione), canonical options peter out relatively quickly. Sure, we can invent our own pairings by fleshing out side characters, but sometimes, the itch is best scratched by borrowing from another canon.

And it makes sense for Tom more than nearly anyone else in HP. Tom was born into an era that is the subject of so much literature, so it’s easy to find another person kicking around postwar Europe if that’s your goal. He’s an archetypal character, the villain seeking immortality, and can be matched against other villains with the same aims. Hell, even his quest to recover lost artifacts turns into the basis for two of these works—Tom Riddle has the perfect combination of a recognizable context and character model, plus the ambiguity of his canon timeline, to slot him alongside so many other fictional figures.

I want to pause on some of these themes for a second. Immortality or relationship to age, for one, is something that comes up in three of these pairings: the Darkling and Koschei the Deathless are both immortal characters in their own canons, and Edmund Pevensie is not immortal but has aged and de-aged repeatedly in his travels to and from Narnia. The HP series doesn’t give us nearly this wealth of different perspectives on age and immortality, which is fair—HP makes it clear that immortality is unnatural and undesirable, and Flamel is notably a ‘good person’ because of his willingness to accept his own death—but for a character as obsessed with the idea as Tom, some emotions can only be explored when you match him with another character who has a complicated relationship to aging. Even someone like Indiana Jones, not immortal and not trying to be, has an interesting perspective to bring to a story because he has seen so many other quests for power gone terribly awry.

Of course, the other thing we get from crossover pairings is the ability to match Tom with a villainous character. And whether you’re a fan of conflict at the start of a relationship or not, I think there’s something to be found in putting two villains together: moral arguments, when they exist, are rarely about whether death is necessary but about what kinds of death are best used when; the entire concept of either a redemption arc or a breaking bad arc can be thrown out a window. It’s a space wherein our two villains are allowed to be themselves, and the reveal of the extent of each character’s villainy becomes a strange form of celebration. This is challenging to achieve if one sticks to HP canon alone, whereas crossovers are a fruitful space.

My selection methodology was to read every crossover fic with a clear focus on Tom Riddle or Voldemort on AO3. I found crossover pairings by visiting the meta pages for the Tom Riddle, Voldemort, and Tom Riddle | Voldemort tags—I may have missed some pairings for Tom Riddle, as the character has over 300 child relationship tags and AO3 cuts off at 300 displayed. If you know of any ships I missed and should check out, do tell! I’ll also make a note here that one of these fics is my own—if self-recs bother you, skip Bluebird.

The following five fics are ordered by wordcount. Let me know what you think!

Neurotic Virtuosi, by skazka

Crossover: Hannibal Rising (movie version). The wizarding world exists, and Tom and Hannibal encounter each other in non-magical Eastern Europe.

Summary: Tom and Hannibal ride the same train when Tom is hunting down the diadem. Tom shares an apple and thinks about keeping Hannibal.

Mature, <1k, Graphic Torture Fantasies

Why?: This is one of those pairings that I wouldn’t have thought to do when the characters were both young, but it’s so much better for that choice! The length of this fic means we only get a taste of their interactions, but what a taste it is. Tom’s internal fantasies are horrifying and described in a very erotic way, which fits both characters.

This also serves as an interesting vision of what Tom might have experienced during his world tour to find the diadem, a period we rarely get to see. I particularly like that the author chose to write it as frustrating and mostly fruitless; a Tom who is stymied and unsuccessful is a particular weakness of mine.

Two Sides of the Same Coin, by Anonymous

Crossover: Chronicles of Narnia. Both Hogwarts and Narnia are real, and the characters meet in Britain. The magic isn’t the same, but there’s mutual recognition.

Summary: Tom tries to use sex to seduce secrets out of Edmund. Edmund sees something reminiscent of his younger self, the version of him who could join the White Witch, in Tom Riddle.

Explicit, 2k

Why?: Edmund and Tom are a pairing made in crossover heaven, both boys of a similar age born into war in the same country and whose discoveries of magical worlds help them escape it. Both lust for power and make poor choices; Edmund canonically recovers and finds redemption from his actions, and Tom does not.

This fic wears the hat of something pure smut, starting in the middle of a sex scene and tagged with top/bottom roles, etc., and it is that and does that well. But give it a shot for Edmund’s reflection at the end, his hopeful musings that he can apply the lessons learned from Aslan to help Tom before Tom’s utterly lost. It’s a crossover ship with unbelievable potential for both characters, and this fic makes me want so much more.

Shedding Skin, by electric_typewriter

Crossover: Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente. Both the wizarding world and the magic of Deathless exist.

Summary: Tom meets Koschei before splitting his soul. They keep meeting, and Tom keeps attempting to match Koschei’s immortality.

Not Rated, 2k

Why?: Immortality via relocation or storage of souls is an idea that easily predates Harry Potter as a series, and seeing two different versions of the some core idea interacting with one another is precisely what crossovers exist to enable. Koschei as an immortal being that found his immortality in a way he considers superior is a fascinating concept, because it creates a power imbalance between them that leaves Tom always running to catch up. And Tom, poor Tom, feels like a desperate man, finding sensation only when he’s around Koschei and feeling nothing at any other time.

This reads a bit like you’re dissociating. The author uses descriptive language to keep the reader a little distant from the grounded reality of the events happening, which has the effect of keeping you focused on the metaphysical question of what it means to have part of a soul.

Bluebird, by Phantomato

Crossover: Shadow and Bone. S&B summoning powers instead of HP magic, set in the real world, with characters’ histories preserved.

Summary: Tom is the second sun summoner to exist, born long after the first gave up her powers and lived out her natural life. He tracks down the Darkling, the shadow summoner who never really died.

Explicit, 17k

Why?: Tom is an immortal being for at least part of his life, and his character arc is about pursuit of immortality, but he is fundamentally a young immortal, and is killed before he can graduate to old immortality. Aleksander, the Darkling, is canonically an old immortal, and his character arc is about the burden of living with the knowledge that you will likely always be alone. That loneliness sets the scene for the relationship between Tom and Aleksander, driving Aleksander’s behavior—he fundamentally believes he will always be alone, even an immortal like Tom passes through his life.

There is a high proportion of smut in this, serving in place of the emotional honesty that neither character can muster, and I recommend it for that. But the story also relies on investment in quiet everyday moments shared between the characters. It’s a fic told through behavior because both men are so cautious around one another, where they nevertheless manage to find sympathy for the other.

Riddles of the Dead, by Maeglin_Yedi

Crossover: Indiana Jones. Blends together the wizarding world and the mysticism present in Indiana Jones films.

Summary: Tom Riddle hires an expert archaeologist and gentleman adventurer, Dr. Indiana Jones, to help him pursue an artifact that might grant him immortality. There’s fucking, fighting, magic, snakes, and some difficult choices in store for our leading men.

Explicit, 18k, Angst

Why?: Maeglin Yedi has been a mainstay of the Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort ficspace for nearly two decades, but an old crossover like this can unfortunately slip through the cracks. It shouldn’t! With an original publishing date in early 2005, this predates the concept of horcruxes, the knowledge of Tom’s early years at Wool’s orphanage, and, well, so much of what we would eventually learn about Tom Riddle as a person. It’s a testament to the author that the story manages to capture Tom’s character in such a way that he’s still fully recognizable to a current-day reader, despite working with so much less canon.

This fic is fun. It’s an adventure, featuring hazards and traps and assassination attempts that you would expect from an Indiana Jones film, but the magic and mystery never overwhelms the relationship at the core of this story. It’s set up beautifully, with a mirrored structure between the front and back halves of the fic that foreshadows the inevitable end of the story. Watching older, confident Indy seduce young, hungry Tom is a delight. One (possible) mark of a great Tom-centric fic, imo, is to be able to portray Tom enjoying the exchange of power, giving it to someone as well as taking it from them, and this Tom is able to revel in giving up some perceived power as he practices being vulnerable with Indy. The romance is quite sweet, especially considering that ‘angst’ tag at the top of the fic!